U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Vanessa Waldref recently joined Attorney General Merrick Garland in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
“From the Palouse to the Cascades, and from the small towns to the big cities, respect for our elders is a principle we can all live by in the Eastern District of Washington,” Waldref said in a news release. “Having safe and strong communities means protecting our seniors, who can be among our most vulnerable, and are often the same people who have protected all of us when we have been vulnerable ourselves.”
Waldref’s comments largely echoed the sentiments expressed by Garland.
"The Department of Justice is committed to protecting and supporting the most vulnerable among us, including by advancing elder justice," he said. "Elder abuse, fraud and neglect remain urgent problems in our country, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new wave of exploitative practices targeted at seniors.”
Garland also pointed to several other DOJ initiatives put in place to help protect and enrich the lives of seniors across the country.
“Our Elder Justice Initiative coordinates programmatic efforts to prevent and respond to elder abuse, including by developing training and resources for our partners at all levels of government and beyond,” he said. “Our grant-making components have also funded the development of coordinated, multi-disciplinary approaches to advancing elder justice, including multidisciplinary teams.”
Elder Justice coordinators are also stationed in each of the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices spread across the country, with all committed to successfully prosecuting cases of elder abuse, including by supporting the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force.
“The strike force, which was launched and is led by the department’s Consumer Protection Branch, brings together attorneys, agents and analysts from across the federal government to disrupt and prosecute foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” Garland said.
Waldref added, “On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Department of Justice joins our partners across America and around the world in reaffirming our commitment to preventing and ending elder abuse in all of its forms.”
